SMRTR ProgrammingJun 22, 2026Dev.to

Day 1 of Learning React: Why React Exists, the Real DOM, Virtual DOM & React Elements

SMRTR summary

A beginner documents Day 1 of learning React, focusing on the core question of why React was built. Starting from the pain points of manually manipulating the DOM, it covers React's key mental model — UI as a function of state — plus the differences between the Real DOM, React Elements, and the Virtual DOM, and how React efficiently handles updates.

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